On the 16th of November Erick van Egeraat’s new Drents Museum in Assen, the Netherlands, will be officially opened by Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands.

The festive re-inauguration of the Museum marks the official end of 18 months of construction within budget and timeframes.

Erick van Egeraat’s design was unanimously voted the winner at the design competition by the Jury and the client, the province of Drenthe.

His vision to use the extension of the Museum as an organizing instrument for the Museum as a whole was the decisive factor.

The most important aspect of Erick van Egeraat’s design is the consistent integration of the museum with the cities fabric.

A balanced play of building, landscape and water, creates a new identity for the extended museum.

The design reinforces both the scenic character and the cultural-historic face of Assen’s city centre.

The staggered, organic roof of the new wing connects existing gardens and parks in the city. Erick van Egeraat is thus creating a publicly accessible park.

Openings in the roof allow light to penetrate into the exhibition spaces below. The new wing links the new entrance with existing parts of the museum and the city landscape.

The existing coach-house will serve as the museum’s new main entrance.

Lifted 1 meter above the ground, the existing structure rests on a glass plinth, revealing the building’s new function in an elegant manner.

The historic façade is left untouched, therefore preserving the buildings civic appearance.

During the day, the glass plinth allows light to enter the building. At night, interior lighting transforms the coach-house into a beacon for the city and its inhabitants.

Description from the architects

The most important aspect of Erick van Egeraatsâ€™ design for the new entrance and extension of the Drents Museum is the consistent integration of the museum into the fabric of the city. A balanced play of building, landscape and water, creates a new identity for the extended museum, emphasizing both the scenic character and the cultural-historic face of the city centre of Assen. The new exhibition wing covers 2000 square meters, all under ground. Its staggered, organic roof consists of a public garden that connects the existing city parks. Openings in the roof allow daylight to enter the exhibition spaces below. The existing coach-house will serve as the museumâ€™s new main entrance. Its historic facade will be left untouched, but the entire building will be lifted off the ground and onto a spectacular glass plinth. During the day, the glass plinth allows light to enter the building. At night, interior lighting highlights it in an elegant manner. The design by Erick van Egeraat won an international competition in 2007. Completion of the project is scheduled for 2011.